Jillian Doke

Jillian is passionate about human connection and the beauty within every person. She is involved in teaching students about global issues, co-heading the Humanitarian Club at her high school, and fighting against injustices. Her goals for the year are to overcome many of her fears, grow as an individual, and immerse herself in a new culture and language. Her favorite quote is, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

As I sit in my room writing this, it’s just another day, and that has made it all the more beautiful. People in the village know me now. As I walk to work each day, I am constantly greeted by smiling faces. My little sisters…

For the last four months, I have been blessed with living and breathing nature 24/7. The view from my bedroom window still takes my breath away. When I go back into the paramo to work with the condors, I get the opportunity to walk alone…

I woke up before the crack of dawn to groggily slide my way into the backseat of my brother-in-law’s truck, squeezing in four sisters with me. As we were making our way to Cotopaxi for a giant parade, I looked out the window into the sky…

During our training at Stanford, we were asked to observe a place for 30 minutes and document our experience. I decided to wander over to the beautiful chapel on campus, and realized how little I actually notice when I don’t take the time to step…

…to my heart. This blog is going to be an extension of all my thoughts, feelings, worries, and joys. I will be posting as much as possible once I depart for ECUADOR! It still hasn’t hit me that I will be living in another country,…